Prevalence and Factors Affecting Employee Satisfaction: The Case of King Abdullah University Hospital in Jordan

Purpose: To discover some factors and their prevalence affecting employee satisfaction in a large modern hospital using Maslow’s five-level hierarchy of human needs, to help with the aim of improving both professional productivity and employee satisfaction. Methodology: A case study questionnaire was administered to 150 participants in a large modern regional hospital over a month in 2013, with results from Likert scales analysed using descriptive analysis, means and SDs and One way ANOVA to tabulate and analyse satisfaction measures. Employee satisfaction, or how employees respond emotionally to work, is a significant factor for organizational success and profit in improving employee performance and motivation. Satisfaction was measured on 18 Likert subscales of items based on responses to Maslow’s hierarchy of need fulfillment concerning working environment, payment and promotion, fairness and relations with supervisors. Results: Analysis of 121 suitable responses among roughly two thirds males and one third females showed 40.5% males of the total with bachelor degrees and 24% had master degrees; 22.3% females had bachelor with 13.2% masters’ degrees. Overall employee dissatisfaction was 88.4% (satisfaction 11.6%) with the highest item score for “Hospital’s influence on raising the Jordanian standard of living” and lowest for “priorities and performance reporting system”. Conclusions: Quality work environment was significant for achieving Maslow’s Safety and Belongingness, contributing to Esteem needs and fairness in working hours. Improved salaries and treatment could satisfy Esteem needs and help some achieve Self-actualization. Supervisor- employee relationships were a significant factor with Belongingness and Esteem needs requiring significant improvement. For increased motivation and productivity personal growth and fulfillment possibilities must be improved to encourage and release the profitable potential of Self actualization.